Conveyor for packages



July 5, 1960 Filed June 2, 1955 v M. s. HALL ETAL CONVEYOR FOR PACKAGES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 E 1 Q i VENTO BY CZlz/z'nl. Winkle: r-%

July 5, 1960 M. B. HALL ETA!- convEaroa FOR PACKAGES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 2, 1955 Marc/2a NVENTORS. Mi li H010.

July 5, .1960 MP3, HALL EI'AL 2,943,558

' I CONVEYOR FOR PACKAGES 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 7 Filed June 2, 1955 INVENTORS. Mardmnd B Hal,

July 5, 1960 HA EI'AL CONVEYOR FOR PACKAGES I 5 Sheet s-S heet 4 Filed June 2, 1955 Marc/2m??? BY Qlqz'nllflinfilen r W Q19 July 5, 1960 M. B. HALL ETAL CONVEYOR FOR PACKAGES E m ooooooooooooooo M 0 O O O O O O O O O O O O IN VEQFRS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 BY QZz/L'w/l. win/dew; v Y W QN m QN Filed June 2, 1955 United States Patent CONVEYOR FOR PACKAGES Marchand B. Hall and Alvin L. Winkler, Chicago, Ill.,

assignors to Acme Steel Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois 7 Filed June 2, 1955, Ser. No. 512,629 Claims. ((31.100-1) This invention relates to improvements in conveyors for use in handling packages or bundles during thewrapping and binding thereof by steel strapping or other binders in order to facilitate the wrapping and binding operations.

It is common practice to form bundles or packages of metal sheets and other articles by arranging a plurality of such articles in a pile, surrounding the pile with a wrapping of paper or the like and then binding the wrapping and the enclosed articles together by surrounding metal binders which may be in the form of steel straps drawn taut and having their overlapping ends secured together with the use of metal seals. Where the bundle or package is heavy, as when it is formed of a pile of metal sheets, for example, it is common practice to support the wrapped pile on parallel wooden skids or runners which are included in the bundle or package by the wrapping operation and which are spaced apart to receive between them the usual fork of a lift truck, so that the truck may be readily moved into position to lift the bundle or package and then used to transport the bundle or package to the desired location. These. heavy bundles vary greatly in size and width and the handling of them during the wrapping and binding operations has heretofore presented a substantial problem.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide improved apparatus for handling bundlesdur ing the wrapping and binding thereof whereby bundles or packages may be quickly and conveniently formed. Another object is to provide improved apparatus including a conveyor upon which the bundles are carried during the wrapping and bindingope'rations, so that these operations may be carried on with respect to successive bundles in an assembly line, thereby minimizing the labor and time required in forming the wrapped bundles or packages. A further object is to provide a conveyor for use in wrapping and binding bundles'or packages with the-use of skids, comprising adjustable means for properly locating the skids with respect to bundles of packages of various widths. Still another object'of the invention is to provide a conveyor for facilitating the packaging of bundles and the like with the use of skids, comprising an endless conveyor carrying skid spacers and bundle supports whichmay be readily adjustedwhile the conveyor is in operation to accommodate the spacing of theskids to bundles of varying widths. Other objects relate to various features of construction and ar- 2,943,558 Patented July 5, 1960 ward the right as viewed in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows an enlarged end elevation of the central portion of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1 looking toward the left as viewed in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the three forms of bundle supports which are included in the conveyor illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3;

Fig. 5 shows a bottom plan view of the conveyor illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3;

Fig. 6 shows a longitudinal section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 shows a transverse section taken on the line 77 of Fig 5; e i

Fig. 8 shows an enlarged top plan view of a portion of the conveyor shown in Figs. 2 and 3; and

Fig. 9 shows a side elevation of a portion of the conveyor which is shown in Fig. 8.

Referring to Fig. l of the drawings, the invention is illustrated as being embodied in a machine comprising a frame 10 having parallel side frame members 10a provided with downwardly extending legs or projections 10b which are adapted to rest upon a floor or other support. At the right-hand end of the machine there is provided an endless. conveyor 11 adapted to move around pulleys 12 mounted on shafts 13 which are journaled in bearing blocks 14 carried by the side frame members 10a. The upper stretch of this endless conveyorll is supported at its sides by upright frames 15 which are'se'cured to the side frame members 10a. This conveyor 11 is adapted to support a number of separate piles '16 of metal sheets or other articles to be bound, the piles being separated from each other by spacers 17. The piles 16 which constitute the objects to be bound are adapted to be moved from the conveyor 11 by means of an overhead conveyor 18 adapted to travel upon a track 19 and com- I prising a series of grappling hooks 18a which are adapted to extend around the sides of a pile of articles 16 to permit the pile to be lifted from the conveyor 11 and then transported endwise of the machine on the track 19 to aiposition on a second endless conveyor 20 on which the wrapping and binding of the pile of articles is performed.

'Between' the conveyor 11 and the conveyor 20 are a pair of racks 21 secured on the side frame members 10a and extending upwardly therefrom. These racks support a series of cylindrical rollers 22 on which are mounted coils of wrapping paper 23, 24 and 25 which are of different widths. The brackets 21 are connected by a series of transverse members 26 and sheets of paper of appropriate length are adapted to be drawn off from the coils 23, '24 and 25 and placed in position on the conveyor 20 preli'minaryto placing a pile of articles 16 in position on the paper sheet to be wrapped. The conveyor 20 is provided with three series of bundle supports 28, 29 and 30 upon which the paper sheet is laid before moving a pile of articles 16 on to the paper sheet with the use ofthe overhead crane 18.

The conveyor 20 comprises two endless chains 31 made up of links 31a which are connected together by pins 31b and these chains are adapted to travel around sprocket gears 32 and 33 mounted on shafts 34 and 35, respectively, which are journaled at their ends in bearing blocks 36 secured to the side frame members 10a. The upper stretches of these chains -31 are supported by upright frames .37 which are also secured to the side frame members 10a. The links 31a of the side chains 31 are adapted to support a continuous series of channelshaped guide members 40v which extend transversely of the'conveyor from one side thereof to the other. Each guide-member 40 has a 'slot 40a extendingthroughout its length transversely of the conveyor and this slot of each guide member is bounded by flanges 4% which form the top walls of the passages 40c in which portions of the supports 28, 29 and 30 are adapted to slide. The bottom walls 40d of the guide members 40 are connected by studs 40s to the links of the endless chains 31 (see Fig. 9). The endless conveyor 20 is adapted to be actuated through the shaft 34 by means of a pulley 41 connected through a belt 42 to a driving pulley 43 mounted on the shaft of an electric motor 44. This motor is provided with suitable controls so that it may be started and stopped intermittently in order to locate one or more bundles on the conveyor 20 in the desired positions for wrapping and binding.

The bundle supports 28, 29 and 30 which are adapted to have parallel paths of travel on the upper stretch of the conveyor 20 are adapted to be spaced apart transversely of the conveyor in order to locate in proper positions the skids on which the pile of articles is supported in the formation of the bundle or package. In Fig. 8, three such skids 45 are, shown extending longitudinally of the conveyor and occupying spaces between the central row of supports 29 and the, lateral'rows of supports 28 and 3,0. Also, the supports of each series 28, 29 and 30 are spaced apart longitudinally of the machine by the guide channels 40 to a suflicient extent to permit bundle reinforcing members 46 to be inserted between them as shown in the lefthand portion of Fig. 8. In Fig. 2 a pile of articles 16 is shown as being covered by a wrapping 47 of paper or the like and resting upon two parallel skids 45 which are carried by the conveyor 20 between the intermediate, series of supports 29 and the two lateral series of supports 28 and 30. The Wrapped bundle and the sheets or other articles of which it is composed are bound together by metal binding straps 49 extending longitudinally thereof with their overlapping ends secured together while they are in a taut condition by means of joints 50 which may be the usual type of joints, formed by threading the overlapping ends of the strap through a tubular metal seal and then deforming the edges of the strap and seal to provide an interlocking joint. The bundle. is also bound by transversely extending binding straps 51 which extend around the bundle transversely of the conveyor with the ends of the straps secured together by joints 52. The longitudanlly extending binding straps 49 extend not only around the articles which are in the pile 16 but around the paper wrapping 47 and also around the skids 45 so that a unitary bundle orpackage. is formed which may be conveniently moved by means of the usual lift truck, as indicated above.

The construction of the bundle supports 28, 29 and 30 is shown particularly in Fig. 4. Each support 28 comprises a body portion 28av which is adapted to slide in a slot 40a of a guide member 40 and this body portion is formed integrally with bottom flanges 28b which are adapted to slide in the channel 400 of the guide member. The body portion 28a is also formed integrally with top flanges. 280 which are adapted to overlie the top flanges 40b of the guide member. Each support 28 is further provided with an up'w-ardlyextending pedestal 28d of rectangular cross section having a flat upper end which is adapted to form a seat for the bundle being wrappedaud bound.

The body portion 28a extends laterally from the flanges 281: and 280 andhas formed thereon a lower flange 282 which is adapted to slide in the groove 40c of a guide member 40 and also an upper flange 28f adapted to extend above the top flanges 40b of a guide member. The top flange 28 has extending. upwardly therefrom, above the body portion 28a, a lug 28g. When the sup port, 28 is mounted on the guide member the pedestal 28d and the lug 28g are adapted to. locate in proper position one of the longitudinally extending skids 45;

The supp rts 30 which extendalong the forwardside of the conveyor as viewed in Fig. 1 are similar in con- 'of the pedestals lie in the same plane.

struction to the supports 28 except that the parts are reversed in position. Each member 30 comprises a body portion 30a having formed thereon a lower flange 30b adapted to travel in the groove 400 of a guide member and an upper flange 30c adapted to extend above the top flanges 40b of the guide member. Above the body portion 30a and midway between the ends of the flanges 300 a pedestal 30d extends upwardly to engage and support the object or bundle to be bound. The top surfaces ofthe pedestals 30d are flat and these parts are of the same length as the pedestals 28d so that when a number of these supporting members are assembled on the top stretch or run of the conveyor 20 the top surfaces The body portion 30a of the member 30 extends laterally and has formed thereon two flanges 30e and 30 which correspond in location and function to the flanges 28e and 28f, respectively. From the top surface of the flange 30f a lug 30g extends upwardly and is adapted to serve with the pedestal 30d to. locate one of the skids 45.

The intermediate supporting members 29 which are located midway between the ends of the guide members 40 comprise body portions 29a having two pairs of spaced lower flanges 29b which are adapted to slide in the grooves 400 of the guide members and each body portion 29a is further provided with two pairs oftop flanges 29c adapted to slide over the top flanges 40b of the guide members. From the. opposite ends of the body portion 29a of each support 29 two pedestals 29d extend upwardly and terminate in fiat top surfaces adapted to engage the object or bundle to be bound in the same plane with the top surfaces of the adjacent pedestals 29d and 30d. Thus, there are four pedestals of equal height and size mounted in a row transversely of the conveyor on each guide member 40 and these pedestals in each row are spaced apart from the corresponding pedestals of each adjacent transverse row sufliciently to accommodate the reinforcing members 46 previously referred to.

The intermediate supports 29 are adapted to occupy at all times positions midway between the ends of the guide members 40 and they are preferably secured against sliding movements longitudinally of the guide members so that they remain in alignment with each other in a longitudinal row. The supports 28 and 30 are adjustable laterally of the conveyor with respect to the intermediate support 29 mounted on the same guide member in order to vary the spaced relation of the supports to accommodate objects or bundles of different widths and to locate the skids 45 in proper positions under the object to be bound. As shown in Fig, 2, the two skids 45 are positioned beneath the bundle 16 and there are two longitudinally extending binding straps 49. If desired, an additional longitudinal skid 45 could be located on the top flanges 290 of the intermediate supports 29 and positioned properly thereon by the upwardly extending pedestals 29d, in which case an additional binding strip 49 would be required.

The lateral adjustment of the supports 28 and 30 on the guide members 40 is effected by two cams 55 which have integrally formed internally threaded hub portions 55a adapted to be engaged by the screw threaded portions 56a of an operating shaft 56 which is journaled in bearing blocks 57 carried by the side frame members 10a. The shaft 56 has mounted thereon a pulley 58 engaged by a belt 59 extending around a driving pulley fixed on the shaft 60a of a driving motor 60. This motor is operated by suitable controls so that it may be started and stopped at the will of the operator in order to effect the lateral spacing of the cams 55 through the operations of the oppositely threaded portions 56a of the shaft 56. The shaft 56 extends laterally of the machine at one end of the conveyor in proximity to the location of the guide members 40 asthey travel with the sprocket chains around the sprocket wheels 32. The cams 55 have upwardly extending arms 55b which are curved inwardly toward each arrests other and' also jcurved longitudinally to extend partially around the end of the conveyor. The tips 550 of these arms are adapted to engage the outer sides of the supports 28 and 30 so that as these supports move upwardly about the end of the conveyor they are cammed inwardly toward each other. Beneath the hub portions 55a, the cams 55 are provided with outwardly curved downwardly and forwardly extending arms 5511 which are united with horizontal outwardly and angularly extending portions 55e. These parts 55e terminate in downwardly directed portions 55 which terminate in flanges 55g (see Fig. 6) which extend between bars 61 and 62 which extend transversely of the machine and which are secured to the under sides of the side frame members 10a andat the same time spaced apart, by means of blocks 63 and 64 and studs 65. The flanges 55g extending between the bars 61 and 62 thus hold the earns 55 from rotation about the axis of the shaft 56 when'this'shaft is operated to effect relative movement of the cams transversely of the conveyor.

The arms 55d extend longitudinally of the conveyor beneath the lower run or stretch thereof as shown in Fig. 5 so that these lower arms engage the outer sides of the supports 28 and 30 as these supports travel along the lower run or stretch of the conveyor toward the left-hand end of the conveyor as viewed in Fig. 5. Then, as the supports move upwardly through curved paths around the end of the conveyorythey are guided inwardly by the upper arms 55b of the cams so that they eventually assume on the upper run or stretch of the conveyor the desired lateral spaced relation which is required to cause the supports 28 and 30 to locate the skids 45 in suitable locations for the size of the object or bundle which is being bound. In Fig. 1 of the drawings some of the supports 28 and 30are shown closely spaced with respect to the intermediate supports 29 and in another portion of the upper stretch of the conveyor the supports 28 and 3 0 are spread apart substantially to the maximum extent, 1n order to illustrate the possibilities with respect to variation of the lateral spacing of the rowsof supports, but it will be understood that in normal operation in the binding of a package of a particular size the supports would be spaced apart to the same extent throughout their path of travel on the upper run of the conveyor. Also, in Fig. 1 a number of the guide members 40 do not have any supports, 28, 29 and 30 mounted thereon, which may be desirable in some instances for the temporary storage of a bundle after it has been wrapped and bound, but the supports 28, 29 and 30 would ordinarily be mounted on all of the guide members 40 so that they would extend throughout the length of the conveyor. After a bundle has been wrapped and bound it may be conveniently moved to a third conveyor 66 supported at one end by a shaft 67 journaled in bearing blocks 68. This conveyor is of use in carrying away the bound bundles or packages after they have been wrapped and bound on the conveyor 20.

When the supports 28, 29 and 30 reach the discharge end of the conveyor 20, i.e., the left-hand end of this conveyor as viewed in Fig. 1, the supports then move downwardly and are carried along the lower stretch or m of the conveyor as illustrated particularly in Fig. 5. As the supports 28 and 30 begin this reverse movement on the lower stretch or run of the conveyor 20, the inner sides of the supports 28 and 30 are brought into engagement with angle shaped cams 70 which diverge rearwardly from the left-hand end of the conveyor and which are adapted to spread the rows of supports 28 and 30 apart. These cams 70 are in the form of angle shaped bars having upwardly extending flanges 70w which are inclined outwardly to a slight extent so that their upper tips 70b contact the inner faces of the supports 28 and 30 and push them outwardly as these supports move toward the front end of the conveyor. The cam bars 70 are so located that they will engage the inner sides of the supports 28 and 30 when these supports are spaced apart to the extent so flanges 70a of the cams at some point in the rearward travel on the under side of the conveyor so that they are then spread apart until they occupy the degree of spread as indicated in the region 71 in Fig. 5. The cam bars 70 are adapted to be supported by cross frame members 72 which are secured to the under sides of the side frame members 10a. After passing through the region 71, the supports 28 and 30 are adapted to engage the arms 55a of the cams which are then spaced apart to the desired extent in order to secure the proper spaced relation of these supports as they move upwardly to the upper stretch or run of the conveyor.

In the operation of the apparatus which has been described a supply of the objects or bundles 16 which are to be bound is maintained on the conveyor 11 through the use of the overhead crane or conveyor 18. After the cams 55 have been operated to adjust the lateral supports 28 and 30 in the proper spaced relation to suit the size of the uppermost object or bundle 16 on the conveyor 11, the skids 45 are positioned on the conveyor 20 bythe use of the pedestals 28d and 30d and the lugs 28g and 30g. A sheet of paper of the appropriate'size is then withdrawn from one of the rolls 23, 24 or 25 and is laid over the skids and over the supports 28, 29 and 30. The object or bundle 16-to be bound is then moved to position on a sheet of paper by the crane or conveyor 18 and the paper sheet is wrapped around the bundle preliminary to binding it with the use of the straps 49 and 51 as shown in Fig. 2. In practice, it is desirable to lay the straps 49 and 51 in position beneath the skids 4 5' and beneath the paper sheet before the object or bundle 16 is lowered into position on the paper sheet so that, after the paper sheet has been folded into the'desired position,-the straps may readily be drawn taut and the joints 51 and 52 formed. However, the metal straps 49 and 51 may be fed beneath the skids 45 after the paper sheet and the bundle are in place, if desired. When the binding of the-bundlehas been completed it may be moved-by the conveyor 20 tothe conveyor 66 and the binding operation may be repeated onthe conveyor 20 with respect to a new bundle 16.

With reference to the binding of the bundle or other object '16 by the straps 49 and 51, it is an important feature of the present invention that the structure of the supports 28, 29 and 30 and their spaced relation on the guide member 40 transversely of the machine and the spaced relation of adjacent guide members are such that the binding straps may be threaded beneath the bundle and the wrapping paper, both longitudinally and trans versely of the machine, after the bundle and the paper are in place on the pedestals of the supporting members. Thus, the proper locations of the binding straps may be determined if desired after the bundle and the paper are mounted on the pedestals of the supports. The elevation of the pedestals and the spaced relation of the supports on which they are formed thus permit the straps, as well as the skids 45, to be properly located with respect to bundles or other objects 16 of various sizes.

Although one form of the invention has been shown and described by way of illustration it will be understood that it may be constructed in various other embodiments which come within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for use in the binding of objects of varying width comprising, a conveyor, means for actuating said conveyor, a series of guide members mounted on said conveyor to extend transversely thereof, said guide members being hollow and having longitudinal slots in their upper sides, supports mounted on said guide members, said supports having parts extending through said slots and slidably engaging said guide members and having upwardly extending pedestals adapted to support on their upper sides an object to be bound, and means for adjusting certain of said supports longitudinally of said guide members. v a

2. Apparatus for use in the binding of objects of varying width comprising, a conveyor, means for actuating said conveyor, a series of guide members mounted on said conveyor to extend transversely thereof, said guide members being hollow and having longitudinal slots in their upper sides, supports mounted on said guide members, said supports having parts extending through said slots and slidably engaging said guide members and having upwardly extending pedestals adapted to support on their upper sides an object to be bound, means for adjusting certain of said supports longitudinally of said guide members, and lugs extending from some of said supports for cooperation with said pedestals for locating skids to be bound with said object.

3. Apparatus for use in the binding of objects of varying width comprising, an endless conveyor having upper and lower runs, means for driving said conveyor, a plurality of transversely extending guide members on said conveyor, a plurality of supports slidably mounted on said guide members for free sliding adjustable movement thereon laterally of the direction of movement of said conveyor, said supports maintaining their adjusted positions on said guide members and being arranged in laterally spaced rows longitudinally of said conveyor,upstanding posts on said supports for supporting on their upper ends along the upper run of said conveyor an object to be bound, a pair of diverging cams along the lower run of said conveyor in the path of said supports for engaging one side of each of said supports for progressively and slidably spreading said rows of supports apart during movement of said supports along said lower run of said conveyor, a pair of converging cams in the path of said supports thereafter engaged by the opposite side of each of said supports for progressively and slidably moving said rows of supports toward each other as said rows are carried from said diverging cams toward said upper run of said conveyor, and means for selectively varying the spaced relation of said converging cams so as selectively to control the, spaced relation of said rows of supports along said upper run of said conveyor.

4. Apparatus for use in binding an object that is to rest on skids comprising, a plurality of individual supports arranged in longitudinal and transverse rows, each of said supports including a horizontally projecting flange for supporting a skid and a pedestal extending upwardly from said flange and having an upper end for supporting said object, said supports being spaced apart in each row with spaces between said flanges and pedestals of adjacent supports to provide openings through which binding straps may be threaded beneath said object and said skids both longitudinally and transversely, said supports being shiftable transversely and remaining in the position in which placed, and means for adjusting the transversely spaced relation of said supports.

5. Apparatus for use in the binding of objects that are to rest on skids comprising, a conveyor, a plurality of individual supports on said conveyor arranged in longitudinal and transverse rows thereon, each of said supports including a-horizontally projecting flange for sup- .porting a skid and a pedestal extending upwardly from said flange and having an upper end for supporting said object, said supports being spaced apart in each row with spaces between said flanges and pedestals of adjacent supports to provide openings through which binding straps may be threaded beneath said object and said skids both longitudinally and transversely, said supports being shiftable transversely on said conveyor and remaining in the position to which they are shifted, and means for adjusting the transversely spaced relation of said supports.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 627,27'4 Selleck June 20, 1899 1,455,433 Ellrich Nov. 5, 1920 1,730,479 Scranton Oct. 8, 1929 1,971,896 Barber Aug. 28, 1934 2,054,603 Leaver Sept. 15, 1936 2,100,004 Gibling Nov. 23, 1937 2,536,057 Hodson et al. Jan. 2, 1951 

